Bose-Einstein condensation of S = 1 nickel spin degrees of freedom in NiCl2-4SC(NH2)2

Pressure-tuned quantum criticality in the large-D antiferromagnet DTN

Strongly correlated spin systems can be driven to quantum critical points via various routes. In particular, gapped quantum antiferromagnets can undergo phase transitions into a magnetically ordered state with applied pressure or magnetic field, acting as tuning parameters. These transitions are characterized by z = 1 or z = 2 dynamical critical exponents, determined by the linear and quadratic low-energy dispersion of spin excitations, respectively. Employing high-frequency susceptibility and ultrasound techniques, we demonstrate that the tetragonal easy-plane quantum antiferromagnet NiCl2 ⋅ 4SC(NH2)2 (aka DTN) undergoes a spin-gap closure transition at about 4.2 kbar, resulting in a pressure-induced magnetic ordering. The studies are complemented by high-pressure-electron spin-resonance measurements confirming the proposed scenario. Powder neutron diffraction measurements revealed that no lattice distortion occurs at this pressure and the high spin symmetry is preserved, establishing DTN as a perfect platform to investigate z = 1 quantum critical phenomena. The experimental observations are supported by DMRG calculations, allowing us to quantitatively describe the pressure-driven evolution of critical fields and spin-Hamiltonian parameters in DTN.

Haldane topological spin-1 chains in a planar metal-organic framework

Haldane topological materials contain unique antiferromagnetic chains with symmetry-protected energy gaps. Such materials have potential applications in spintronics and future quantum computers. Haldane topological solids typically consist of spin-1 chains embedded in extended three-dimensional (3D) crystal structures. Here, we demonstrate that [Ni(μ-4,4'-bipyridine)(μ-oxalate)]n (NiBO) instead adopts a two-dimensional (2D) metal-organic framework (MOF) structure of Ni2+ spin-1 chains weakly linked by 4,4'-bipyridine. NiBO exhibits Haldane topological properties with a gap between the singlet ground state and the triplet excited state. The latter is split by weak axial and rhombic anisotropies. Several experimental probes, including single-crystal X-ray diffraction, variable-temperature powder neutron diffraction (VT-PND), VT inelastic neutron scattering (VT-INS), DC susceptibility and specific heat measurements, high-field electron spin resonance, and unbiased quantum Monte Carlo simulations, provide a detailed, comprehensive characterization of NiBO. Vibrational (also known as phonon) properties of NiBO have been probed by INS and density-functional theory (DFT) calculations, indicating the absence of phonons near magnetic excitations in NiBO, suppressing spin-phonon coupling. The work here demonstrates that NiBO is indeed a rare 2D-MOF Haldane topological material.

All-electron APW+lo calculation of magnetic molecules with the SIRIUS domain-specific package

We report APW+lo (augmented plane wave plus local orbital) density functional theory (DFT) calculations of large molecular systems using the domain specific SIRIUS multi-functional DFT package. The APW and FLAPW (full potential linearized APW) task and data parallelism options and the advanced eigen-system solver provided by SIRIUS can be exploited for performance gains in ground state Kohn-Sham calculations on large systems. This approach is distinct from our prior use of SIRIUS as a library backend to another APW+lo or FLAPW code. We benchmark the code and demonstrate performance on several magnetic molecule and metal organic framework systems. We show that the SIRIUS package in itself is capable of handling systems as large as a several hundred atoms in the unit cell without having to make technical choices that result in the loss of accuracy with respect to that needed for the study of magnetic systems.

CP2 skyrmions and skyrmion crystals in realistic quantum magnets

Magnetic skyrmions are nanoscale topological textures that have been recently observed in different families of quantum magnets. These objects are called CP¹ skyrmions because they are built from dipoles-the target manifold is the 1D complex projective space, CP¹ ≅ S². Here we report the emergence of magnetic CP² skyrmions in a realistic spin-1 model, which includes both dipole and quadrupole moments. Unlike CP¹ skyrmions, CP² skyrmions can also arise as metastable textures of quantum paramagnets, opening a new road to discover emergent topological solitons in non-magnetic materials. The quantum phase diagram of the spin-1 model also includes magnetic field-induced CP² skyrmion crystals that can be detected with regular momentum- (diffraction) and real-space (Lorentz transmission electron microscopy) experimental techniques.

Double dome structure of the Bose-Einstein condensation in diluted S = 3/2 quantum magnets

Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in quantum magnets, where bosonic spin excitations condense into ordered ground states, is a realization of BEC in a thermodynamic limit. Although previous magnetic BEC studies have focused on magnets with small spins of S ≤ 1, larger spin systems potentially possess richer physics because of the multiple excitations on a single site level. Here, we show the evolution of the magnetic phase diagram of S = 3/2 quantum magnet Ba₂CoGe₂O₇ when the averaged interaction J is controlled by a dilution of magnetic sites. By partial substitution of Co with nonmagnetic Zn, the magnetic order dome transforms into a double dome structure, which can be explained by three kinds of magnetic BECs with distinct excitations. Furthermore, we show the importance of the randomness effects induced by the quenched disorder: we discuss the relevance of geometrical percolation and Bose/Mott glass physics near the BEC quantum critical point.

Entropic topography associated with field-induced quantum criticality in a magnetic insulator DyVO4

Exploration of low temperature phase transitions associated with quantum critical point is one of the most mystifying fields of research which is under intensive focus in recent times. In this work, through comprehensive experimental evidences, we report the possibility of achieving quantum criticality in the neighborhood of a magnetic field-tuned tricritical point separating paramagnetic, antiferromagnetic and metamagnetic phases in a magnetic insulator, DyVO4. Magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity indicate to the presence of a long-range second order antiferromagnetic transition at TN ~ 3.2 K. Field variation of Magnetic susceptibility and heat capacity, along with differential magnetic susceptibility and DC field dependent AC susceptibility gives evidence of the modification of the antiferromagnetic structure below the tricritical point; implying the presence of a field-induced first order metamagnetic transition which persists down to 1.8 K. Further, the magnetic field dependence of the thermodynamic quantity - dM/dT, which is related to magnetic Gruneisen parameter, approaches a minimum, followed by a crossover near 5 kOe to a maximum; along with a hyperbolic divergence in temperature response of dM/dT in the critical field regime. Temperature response of heat capacity at 5 kOe also shows a deviation from the conventional behavior. Entropic topography phase diagram allows tracking of the variation of the entropy, which indicates towards the emergence of the peak at quantum critical point into a V-shaped region at high temperatures. Our studies yield an inimitable phase diagram describing a tricritical point at which the second-order antiferromagnetic phase line terminates followed by a first order line of metamagnetic transition, as the temperature is lowered, leading to metamagnetic quantum critical end point.

Decay and renormalization of a longitudinal mode in a quasi-two-dimensional antiferromagnet

An ongoing challenge in the study of quantum materials, is to reveal and explain collective quantum effects in spin systems where interactions between different modes types are important. Here we approach this problem through a combined experimental and theoretical study of interacting transverse and longitudinal modes in an easy-plane quantum magnet near a continuous quantum phase transition. Our inelastic neutron scattering measurements of Ba₂FeSi₂O₇ reveal the emergence, decay, and renormalization of a longitudinal mode throughout the Brillouin zone. The decay of the longitudinal mode is particularly pronounced at the zone center. To account for the many-body effects of the interacting low-energy modes in anisotropic magnets, we generalize the standard spin-wave theory. The measured mode decay and renormalization is reproduced by including all one-loop corrections. The theoretical framework developed here is broadly applicable to quantum magnets with more than one type of low energy mode.

Anisotropic spin S >1/2 quantum magnets can have multiple low energy modes. In this manuscript, the authors study the interaction of such low energy modes in the S = 1 antiferromagnet Ba₂FeSi₂O₇ by combining neutron scattering measurements with an SU(3) generalization of the 1/S expansion.

Two Phases Inside the Bose Condensation Dome of Yb_{2}Si_{2}O_{7}

Recent experimental data on Bose-Einstein condensation of magnons in the spin-gap compound Yb_{2}Si_{2}O_{7} revealed an asymmetric Bose-Einstein condensation dome [G. Hester et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 027201 (2019)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.123.027201]. We examine modifications to the Heisenberg model on a breathing honeycomb lattice, showing that this physics can be explained by competing anisotropic perturbations. We employ a gamut of analytical and numerical techniques to show that the anisotropy yields a field driven phase transition from a state with broken Ising symmetry to a phase that breaks no symmetries and crosses over to the polarized limit.

Localized Magnetic Excitations in the Fully Frustrated Dimerized Magnet Ba_{2}CoSi_{2}O_{6}Cl_{2}

Magnetic excitations of the effective spin S=1/2 dimerized magnet Ba_{2}CoSi_{2}O_{6}Cl_{2} have been probed directly via inelastic neutron scattering experiments at temperatures down to 4 K. We observed five types of excitation at 4.8, 5.8, 6.6, 11.4, and 14.0 meV, which are all dispersionless within the resolution limits. The scattering intensities of the three low-lying excitations were found to exhibit different Q dependencies. Detailed analysis has demonstrated that Ba_{2}CoSi_{2}O_{6}Cl_{2} is a two-dimensional spin dimer system described only by a single dimer site, where the triplet excitations are localized owing to the almost perfect frustration of the interdimer exchange interactions and the undimerized spins, even in small concentration, make an essential contribution to the excitation spectrum.

Novel Strongly Spin-Orbit Coupled Quantum Dimer Magnet: Yb_{2}Si_{2}O_{7}

The quantum dimer magnet (QDM) is the canonical example of quantum magnetism. The QDM state consists of entangled nearest-neighbor spin dimers and often exhibits a field-induced triplon Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) phase. We report on a new QDM in the strongly spin-orbit coupled, distorted honeycomb-lattice material Yb_{2}Si_{2}O_{7}. Our single crystal neutron scattering, specific heat, and ultrasound velocity measurements reveal a gapped singlet ground state at zero field with sharp, dispersive excitations. We find a field-induced magnetically ordered phase reminiscent of a BEC phase, with exceptionally low critical fields of H_{c1}∼0.4 and H_{c2}∼1.4  T. Using inelastic neutron scattering in an applied magnetic field we observe a Goldstone mode (gapless to within δE=0.037  meV) that persists throughout the entire field-induced magnetically ordered phase, suggestive of the spontaneous breaking of U(1) symmetry expected for a triplon BEC. However, in contrast to other well-known cases of this phase, the high-field (μ_{0}H≥1.2  T) part of the phase diagram in Yb_{2}Si_{2}O_{7} is interrupted by an unusual regime signaled by a change in the field dependence of the ultrasound velocity and magnetization, as well as the disappearance of a sharp anomaly in the specific heat. These measurements raise the question of how anisotropy in strongly spin-orbit coupled materials modifies the field induced phases of QDMs.

Detection of a Disorder-Induced Bose-Einstein Condensate in a Quantum Spin Material at High Magnetic Fields

The coupled spin-1 chains material NiCl_{2}-4SC(NH_{2})_{2} (DTN) doped with Br impurities is expected to be a perfect candidate for observing many-body localization at high magnetic field: the so-called "Bose glass," a zero-temperature bosonic fluid, compressible, gapless, incoherent, and short-range correlated. Using nuclear magnetic resonance, we critically address the stability of the Bose glass in doped DTN, and find that it hosts a novel disorder-induced ordered state of matter, where many-body physics leads to an unexpected resurgence of quantum coherence emerging from localized impurity states. An experimental phase diagram of this new "order-from-disorder" phase, established from nuclear magnetic resonance T_{1}^{-1} relaxation rate data in the 13±1% Br-doped DTN, is found to be in excellent agreement with the theoretical prediction from large-scale quantum Monte Carlo simulations.

Proposed Bose-Einstein condensation of magnons in nanostructured films of Gd at low temperature and its manifestations in electrical resistivity and magnetoresistance

In this paper we report the observation of a proposed Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of magnons in a temperature range of around 15-20 K in nanostructured films of Gd with grain sizes that are much larger than the size range where superparamagentism is expected. The observation was carried out using magnetic as well as high precision resistivity and magnetoresistance (MR) measurements performed to low temperatures. We observe that the experimental observations depend crucially on one parameter, namely softening of the spin wave stiffness parameter D at BEC and the resistivity as well as MR can be related quantitatively to magnetic measurements through the temperature variation of the constant D in the vicinity of the transition. This paper establishes that the BEC reported before in nanocrystalline Gd can be extended to a somewhat larger size range.

Structural and magnetic properties of spin-1/2 dimer compound Cu2(IPA)2(DMF)(H2O) with a large spin gap

We present the synthesis and a detailed investigation of structural and magnetic properties of metal-organic compound Cu₂(IPA)₂(DMF)(H₂O) by means of x-ray diffraction, magnetization, and heat capacity measurements. Single crystals of the title compound were synthesized by judicious selection of organic ligand and employing a selective hydrothermal reaction route. It crystallizes in an orthorhombic structure with space group Cmca. The structural analysis revealed that two Cu²⁺ ions are held together by the organic component (-O-C-O-) in a square paddle-wheel to form spin dimers which are aligned perpendicular to each other and are further coupled through organic ligands (isophthalic acid) forming two-dimensional layers. Temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility [Formula: see text] could be described well using spin-1/2 dimer model. The spin susceptibility [Formula: see text] shows an exponential decrease in the low temperature region, below the broad maximum, confirming the singlet ground state with a large spin gap of [Formula: see text] K. The heat capacity C _p measured as a function of temperature also confirms the absence of magnetic long-range-order down to 2 K.

Bound States and Field-Polarized Haldane Modes in a Quantum Spin Ladder

The challenge of one-dimensional systems is to understand their physics beyond the level of known elementary excitations. By high-resolution neutron spectroscopy in a quantum spin-ladder material, we probe the leading multiparticle excitation by characterizing the two-magnon bound state at zero field. By applying high magnetic fields, we create and select the singlet (longitudinal) and triplet (transverse) excitations of the fully spin-polarized ladder, which have not been observed previously and are close analogs of the modes anticipated in a polarized Haldane chain. Theoretical modeling of the dynamical response demonstrates our complete quantitative understanding of these states.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Reveals Disordered Level-Crossing Physics in the Bose-Glass Regime of the Br-Doped Ni(Cl_{1-x}Br_{x})_{2}-4SC(NH_{2})_{2} Compound at a High Magnetic Field

By measuring the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) T_{1}^{-1} relaxation rate in the Br (bond) doped DTN compound, Ni(Cl_{1-x}Br_{x})_{2}-4SC(NH_{2})_{2}(DTNX), we show that the low-energy spin dynamics of its high magnetic field "Bose-glass" regime is dominated by a strong peak of spin fluctuations found at the nearly doping-independent position H^{*}≅13.6  T. From its temperature and field dependence, we conclude that this corresponds to a level crossing of the energy levels related to the doping-induced impurity states. Observation of the local NMR signal from the spin adjacent to the doped Br allowed us to fully characterize this impurity state. We have thus quantified a microscopic theoretical model that paves the way to better understanding of the Bose-glass physics in DTNX, as revealed in the related theoretical study [M. Dupont, S. Capponi, and N. Laflorencie, Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 067204 (2017).PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.118.067204].

Disorder-Induced Revival of the Bose-Einstein Condensation in Ni(Cl_{1-x}Br_{x})_{2}-4SC(NH_{2})_{2} at High Magnetic Fields

Building on recent NMR experiments [A. Orlova et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 118, 067203 (2017).PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.118.067203], we theoretically investigate the high magnetic field regime of the disordered quasi-one-dimensional S=1 antiferromagnetic material Ni(Cl_{1-x}Br_{x})_{2}-4SC(NH_{2})_{2}. The interplay between disorder, chemically controlled by Br-doping, interactions, and the external magnetic field, leads to a very rich phase diagram. Beyond the well-known antiferromagnetically ordered regime, an analog of a Bose condensate of magnons, which disappears when H≥12.3  T, we unveil a resurgence of phase coherence at a higher field H∼13.6  T, induced by the doping. Interchain couplings stabilize the finite temperature long-range order whose extension in the field-temperature space is governed by the concentration of impurities x. Such a "minicondensation" contrasts with previously reported Bose-glass physics in the same regime and should be accessible to experiments.

Antiferromagnetism in a Family of S = 1 Square Lattice Coordination Polymers NiX2(pyz)2 (X = Cl, Br, I, NCS; pyz = Pyrazine)

The crystal structures of NiX2(pyz)2 (X = Cl (1), Br (2), I (3), and NCS (4)) were determined by synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction. All four compounds consist of two-dimensional (2D) square arrays self-assembled from octahedral NiN4X2 units that are bridged by pyz ligands. The 2D layered motifs displayed by 1-4 are relevant to bifluoride-bridged [Ni(HF2)(pyz)2]EF6 (E = P, Sb), which also possess the same 2D layers. In contrast, terminal X ligands occupy axial positions in 1-4 and cause a staggered packing of adjacent layers. Long-range antiferromagnetic (AFM) order occurs below 1.5 (Cl), 1.9 (Br and NCS), and 2.5 K (I) as determined by heat capacity and muon-spin relaxation. The single-ion anisotropy and g factor of 2, 3, and 4 were measured by electron-spin resonance with no evidence for zero-field splitting (ZFS) being observed. The magnetism of 1-4 spans the spectrum from quasi-two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) antiferromagnetism. Nearly identical results and thermodynamic features were obtained for 2 and 4 as shown by pulsed-field magnetization, magnetic susceptibility, as well as their Néel temperatures. Magnetization curves for 2 and 4 calculated by quantum Monte Carlo simulation also show excellent agreement with the pulsed-field data. Compound 3 is characterized as a 3D AFM with the interlayer interaction (J⊥) being slightly stronger than the intralayer interaction along Ni-pyz-Ni segments (J(pyz)) within the two-dimensional [Ni(pyz)2](2+) square planes. Regardless of X, J(pyz) is similar for the four compounds and is roughly 1 K.

Quenching the haldane gap in spin-1 Heisenberg antiferromagnets

We consider a quasi-one-dimensional system of spin-1 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chains in two-dimensional and three-dimensional hypercubic lattices with interchain coupling J and uniaxial single-ion anisotropy D. Using large-scale numerical simulations, we map out the J-D phase diagram and investigate the low-lying excitations of the Haldane phase in the J≪1 limit. We also provide direct evidence that the Haldane phase remains a nontrivial symmetry-protected topological state for small but finite J.

Inverse transitions in a spin-glass model on a scale-free network

In this paper, we will investigate critical phenomena by considering a model spin glass on scale-free networks. For this purpose, we consider the Ghatak-Sherrington (GS) model, a spin-1 spin-glass model with a crystal field, instead of the usual Ising-type model. Scale-free networks on which the GS model is placed are constructed from the static model, in which the number of vertices is fixed from the beginning. On the basis of the replica-symmetric solution, we obtain the analytical solutions, i.e., free energy and order parameters, and we derive the various phase diagrams consisting of the paramagnetic, ferromagnetic, and spin-glass phases as functions of temperature T, the degree exponent λ, the mean degree K, and the fraction of the ferromagnetic interactions ρ. Since the present model is based on the GS model, which considers the three states (S = 0, ± 1), the S = 0 state plays a crucial role in the λ-dependent critical behavior: glass transition temperature T(g) has a finite value, even when 2 < λ < 3. In addition, when the crystal field becomes nonzero, the present model clearly exhibits three types of inverse transitions, which occur when an ordered phase is more entropic than a disordered one.

Neutron study of the magnetism in NiCl2·4SC(NH2)2

We study the strongly anisotropic quasi-one-dimensional S = 1 quantum magnet NiCl2·4SC(NH2)2 using elastic and inelastic neutron scattering. We demonstrate that a magnetic field splits the excited doublet state and drives the lower doublet state to zero energy at a critical field Hc1. For Hc1 < H < Hc2, where Hc2 indicates the transition to a fully magnetized state, three-dimensional magnetic order is established with the AF moment perpendicular to the magnetic field. We mapped the temperature/magnetic field phase diagram, and we find that the total ordered magnetic moment reaches m(tot) = 2.1 μB at the field μ(0)H = 6 T and is thus close to the saturation value of the fully ordered moment. We study the magnetic spin dynamics in the fully magnetized state for H > Hc2, and we demonstrate the presence of an AF interaction between Ni(2+) on the two interpenetrating sublattices. In the antiferromagnetically ordered phase, the spin-waves that develop from the lower-energy doublet are split into two modes. This is most likely the result of the presence of the AF interaction between the interpenetrating lattices.

Field-induced quantum soliton lattice in a frustrated two-leg spin-1/2 ladder

Based on high-field (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance experiments and accompanying numerical calculations, it is argued that in the frustrated S=1/2 ladder compound BiCu(2)PO(6) a field-induced soliton lattice develops above a critical field of μ(0)H(c1)=20.96(7) T. Solitons result from the fractionalization of the S=1, bosonlike triplet excitations, which in other quantum antiferromagnets are commonly known to experience Bose-Einstein condensation or to crystallize in a superstructure. Unlike in spin-Peierls systems, these field-induced quantum domain walls do not arise from a state with broken translational symmetry and are triggered exclusively by magnetic frustration. Our model predicts yet another second-order phase transition at H(c2)>H(c1), driven by soliton-soliton interactions, most likely corresponding to the one observed in recent magnetocaloric and other bulk measurements.

Quantum-critical spin dynamics in quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnets

By means of nuclear spin-lattice relaxation rate T(1)(-1), we follow the spin dynamics as a function of the applied magnetic field in two gapped quasi-one-dimensional quantum antiferromagnets: the anisotropic spin-chain system NiCl(2)-4SC(NH(2))(2) and the spin-ladder system (C(5)H(12)N)(2)CuBr(4). In both systems, spin excitations are confirmed to evolve from magnons in the gapped state to spinons in the gapless Tomonaga-Luttinger-liquid state. In between, T(1)(-1) exhibits a pronounced, continuous variation, which is shown to scale in accordance with quantum criticality. We extract the critical exponent for T(1)(-1), compare it to the theory, and show that this behavior is identical in both studied systems, thus demonstrating the universality of quantum-critical behavior.

Anisotropic cascade of field-induced phase transitions in the frustrated spin-ladder system BiCu2PO6

BiCu(2)PO(6) is a frustrated two-leg spin-ladder compound with a spin gap that can be closed with a magnetic field of approximately 20 T. This quantum phase transition and its related phase diagram as a function of magnetic field and temperature (H, T) are investigated up to 60 T by means of specific heat, magnetocaloric effect, magnetization, and magnetostriction measurements. In contrast to other gapped quantum magnets, BiCu(2)PO(6) undergoes a series of unexpected first- and second-order phase transitions when an external magnetic field is applied along the crystallographic c axis. The application of a magnetic field along the b axis induces two second-order phase transitions. We propose that the anisotropy and complex phase diagram result from the interplay between strong geometrical frustration and spin-orbit interaction necessary for the description of this fascinating magnetic system.

Magnons as a Bose-Einstein condensate in nanocrystalline gadolinium

The recent observation [S. P. Mathew et al., J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 200, 072047 (2010)] of the anomalous softening of spin-wave modes at low temperatures in nanocrystalline gadolinium is interpreted as a Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of magnons. A self-consistent calculation, based on the BEC picture, is shown to closely reproduce the observed temperature variations of magnetization and specific heat at constant magnetic fields.

Magnetocaloric effect and magnetic cooling near a field-induced quantum-critical point

The presence of a quantum-critical point (QCP) can significantly affect the thermodynamic properties of a material at finite temperatures T . This is reflected, e.g., in the entropy landscape S (T ,r ) in the vicinity of a QCP, yielding particularly strong variations for varying the tuning parameter r such as pressure or magnetic field B . Here we report on the determination of the critical enhancement of ∂S /∂B near a B -induced QCP via absolute measurements of the magnetocaloric effect (MCE), (∂T /∂B )S and demonstrate that the accumulation of entropy around the QCP can be used for efficient low-temperature magnetic cooling. Our proof of principle is based on measurements and theoretical calculations of the MCE and the cooling performance for a Cu2+-containing coordination polymer, which is a very good realization of a spin-½ antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain—one of the simplest quantum-critical systems.

Antiferromagnet with two coupled antiferromagnetic sublattices in a magnetic field

We discuss the magnon spectrum of an antiferromagnet (AF) in a magnetic field h consisting of two interpenetrating AF sublattices coupled by the exchange interaction at T = 0. One-ion easy-plane anisotropy is also taken into account. We calculate using the 1/S expansion the gap in the spectrum which is a manifestation of the order-by-disorder effect in this system and the optical magnon mode splitting. Both of these phenomena originate from the inter-sublattice interaction. We also calculate the gap value at h≈h(c) in the leading order of the small parameter (h(c) - h)/h(c) using the magnon Bose-Einstein condensation treatment, where h(c) is the saturation field. By comparing results obtained within these two approaches we conclude that the 1/S expansion gives a qualitatively correct result at h ~ h(c) even at large one-ion anisotropy but it overestimates the gap value. The application is discussed of these results to the actively studied AF of the considered type NiCl₂-4SC(NH₂)₂(DTN).

Thermal transport and strong mass renormalization in NiCl2-4SC(NH2)2

Several quantum paramagnets exhibit magnetic-field-induced quantum phase transitions to an antiferromagnetic state that exists for H c1 ≤ H ≤ H c2. For some of these compounds, there is a significant asymmetry between the low- and high-field transitions. We present specific heat and thermal conductivity measurements in NiCl2-4SC(NH2)2, together with calculations which show that the asymmetry is caused by a strong mass renormalization due to quantum fluctuations for H ≤ H c1 that are absent for H ≥ H c2. We argue that the enigmatic lack of asymmetry in thermal conductivity is due to a concomitant renormalization of the impurity scattering.

Field-induced Bose-Einstein condensation of triplons up to 8 K in Sr3Cr2O8

Single crystals of the spin dimer system Sr(3)Cr(2)O(8) have been grown for the first time. Magnetization, heat capacity, and magnetocaloric effect data up to 65 T reveal magnetic order between applied fields of H(c1) approximately 30.4 T and H(c2) approximately 62 T. This field-induced order persists up to T(c)(max) approximately 8 K at H approximately 44 T, the highest observed in any quantum magnet where H(c2) is experimentally accessible. We fit the temperature-field phase diagram boundary close to H(c1) using the expression T(c) = A(H-H(c1))(nu). The exponent nu = 0.65(2), obtained at temperatures much smaller than T(c)(max), is that of the 3D Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) universality class. This finding strongly suggests that Sr(3)Cr(2)O(8) is a new realization of a triplon BEC where the universal regimes corresponding to both H(c1) and H(c2) are accessible at (4)He temperatures.

Asymmetric quintuplet condensation in the frustrated S = 1 spin dimer compound Ba3Mn2O8

Ba_{3}Mn_{2}O_{8} is a spin-dimer compound based on pairs of S = 1, 3d;{2}, Mn;{5+} ions arranged on a triangular lattice. Antiferromagnetic intradimer exchange leads to a singlet ground state in zero field, with excited triplet and quintuplet states at higher energy. High field thermodynamic measurements are used to establish the phase diagram, revealing a substantial asymmetry of the quintuplet condensate. This striking effect, all but absent for the triplet condensate, is due to a fundamental asymmetry in quantum fluctuations of the paramagnetic phases near the various critical fields.

Magnetic-field induced phase transitions in a weakly coupled s=1/2 quantum spin dimer system Ba3Cr2O8

By using bulk magnetization, electron spin resonance (ESR), heat capacity, and neutron scattering techniques, we characterize the thermodynamic and quantum phase diagrams of Ba3Cr2O8. Our ESR measurements indicate that the low field paramagnetic ground state is a mixed state of the singlet and the Sz=0 triplet for H perpendicular c. This suggests the presence of an intradimer Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya (DM) interaction with a DM vector perpendicular to the c axis.

Low-temperature heat transport in the low-dimensional quantum magnet NiCl2-4SC(NH2)2

We report a study of the low-temperature thermal conductivity of NiCl2-4SC(NH2)_{2}, which is a spin-1 chain system exhibiting the magnon Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in a magnetic field. It is found that the low-T thermal conductivity along the spin-chain direction shows strong anomalies at the lower and upper critical fields of the magnon BEC state. In this state, magnons act mainly as phonon scatterers at relatively high temperature, but change their role to heat carriers upon temperature approaching zero. The result demonstrates a large thermal conductivity in the magnon BEC state and points to a direct analog between the magnon BEC and the conventional one.

Critical properties at the field-induced Bose-Einstein condensation in NiCl(2)-4SC(NH2)2

We report new magnetization measurements on the spin-gap compound NiCl(2)-4SC(NH2)2 at the low-field boundary of the magnetic field-induced ordering. The critical density of the magnetization is analyzed in terms of a Bose-Einstein condensation of bosonic quasiparticles. The analysis of the magnetization at the transition leads to the conclusion for the preservation of the U(1) symmetry, as required for Bose-Einstein condensation. The experimental data are well described by quantum Monte Carlo simulations.

Direct measurement of the Bose-Einstein condensation universality class in NiCl2-4SC(NH2)2 at ultralow temperatures

In this work, we demonstrate field-induced Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) in the organic compound NiCl2-4SC(NH2)_{2} using ac susceptibility measurements down to 1 mK. The Ni S=1 spins exhibit 3D XY antiferromagnetism between a lower critical field H_{c1} approximately 2 T and a upper critical field H_{c2} approximately 12 T. The results show a power-law temperature dependence of the phase transition line H_{c1}(T)-H_{c1}(0)=aT;{alpha} with alpha=1.47+/-0.10 and H_{c1}(0)=2.053 T, consistent with the 3D BEC universality class. Near H_{c2}, a kink was found in the phase boundary at approximately 150 mK.

Unusual magneto-optical phenomenon reveals low energy spin dispersion in the spin-1 anisotropic Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain system NiCl2-4SC(NH2)_{2}

Electron paramagnetic resonance measurements of NiCl2-4SC(NH2)_{2} reveal the low-energy spin dispersion, including a magnetic-field interval in which the two-magnon continuum is within k_{B}T of the ground state, allowing a continuum of excitations over a range of k states, rather than only the k=0 single-magnon excitations. This produces a novel Y shape in the frequency-field EPR spectrum measured at T > or = 1.5 K. Since the interchain coupling J_{ perpendicular}<<k_{B}T, this shape can be reproduced by a single S=1 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg chain with a strong easy-plane single-ion anisotropy. Importantly, the combination of experiment and modeling we report herein demonstrates a powerful approach to probing spin dispersion in a wide range of interacting magnetic systems without the stringent sample requirements and complications associated with inelastic scattering experiments.

Diverging thermal expansion of the spin-ladder system (C5H12N)2CuBr4

We present high-resolution measurements of the c(*)-axis thermal expansion and magnetostriction of piperidinium copper bromide (C5H12N)2CuBr4. The experimental data at low temperatures are well accounted for by a two-leg spin-ladder Hamiltonian. The thermal expansion shows a complex behavior with various sign changes and approaches a 1/square root T divergence at the critical fields. All low-temperature features are semiquantitatively explained within a free-fermion model; full quantitative agreement is obtained with quantum Monte Carlo simulations.

Excitations in a four-leg antiferromagnetic Heisenberg spin tube

Inelastic neutron scattering is used to investigate magnetic excitations in the quasi-one-dimensional quantum spin-liquid system Cu(2)Cl(4).D(8)C(4)SO(2). Contrary to previously conjectured models that relied on bond-alternating nearest-neighbor interactions in the spin chains, the dominant interactions are actually next-nearest-neighbor in-chain antiferromagnetic couplings. The appropriate Heisenberg Hamiltonian is equivalent to that of a S=1/2 4-leg spin-tube with almost perfect one dimensionality and no bond alternation. A partial geometric frustration of rung interactions induces a small incommensurability of short-range spin correlations.

Mott glass in site-diluted S=1 antiferromagnets with single-ion anisotropy

The interplay between site dilution and quantum fluctuations in S=1 Heisenberg antiferromagnets on the square lattice is investigated using quantum Monte Carlo simulations. Quantum fluctuations are tuned by a single-ion anisotropy D. In the clean limit, a sufficiently large D>Dc=5.65(2)J forces each spin into its mS=0 state, and thus destabilizes antiferromagnetic order. In the presence of site dilution, quantum fluctuations are found to destroy Néel order before the percolation threshold of the lattice is reached, if D exceeds a critical value D*=2.3(2)J. This mechanism opens up an extended quantum-disordered Mott-glass phase on the percolated lattice, characterized by a gapless spectrum and vanishing uniform susceptibility.

Excitations from a Bose-Einstein condensate of magnons in coupled spin ladders

The weakly coupled quasi-one-dimensional spin ladder compound (CH3)2CHNH3CuCl3 is studied by neutron scattering in magnetic fields exceeding the critical field of Bose-Einstein condensation of magnons. Commensurate long-range order and the associated Goldstone mode are detected and found to be similar to those in reference to spin-dimer materials. However, for the upper two massive magnon branches, the observed behavior is totally different, culminating in a drastic collapse of excitation bandwidth beyond the transition point.

Probing anomalous longitudinal fluctuations of the interacting Bose gas via Bose-Einstein condensation of magnons

The emergence of a finite staggered magnetization in quantum Heisenberg antiferromagnets subject to a uniform magnetic field can be viewed as Bose-Einstein condensation of magnons. Using nonperturbative results for the infrared behavior of the interacting Bose gas, we present exact results for the staggered spin-spin correlation functions of quantum antiferromagnets in a magnetic field at zero temperature. In particular, we show that in dimensions 1<D</=3 the longitudinal dynamic structure factor S_{ parallel}(q,omega) describing staggered spin fluctuations in the direction of the staggered magnetization exhibits a critical continuum whose weight can be controlled experimentally by varying the magnetic field.

Magnetic excitations in the spin-1 anisotropic Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain system NiCl(2)-4SC(NH(2))(2)

NiCl(2)-4SC(NH(2))(2) (DTN) is a quantum S=1 chain system with strong easy-pane anisotropy and a new candidate for the Bose-Einstein condensation of the spin degrees of freedom. ESR studies of magnetic excitations in DTN in fields up to 25 T are presented. Based on analysis of the single-magnon excitation mode in the high-field spin-polarized phase and previous experimental results [Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 077204 (2006)10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.077204], a revised set of spin-Hamiltonian parameters is obtained. Our results yield D=8.9 K, J(c) = 2.2 K, and J(a,b) = 0.18 K for the anisotropy, intrachain, and interchain exchange interactions, respectively. These values are used to calculate the antiferromagnetic phase boundary, magnetization, and the frequency-field dependence of two-magnon bound-state excitations predicted by theory and observed in DTN for the first time. Excellent quantitative agreement with experimental data is obtained.